THE GLASS FACTORY.           
                                        
                                        
                                      
                                  
                                  
                                          
 SEVERAL  CENTURIES  AFTER  IT  HAD  LAST 
 BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN  OUTING TO 
 THE  GLASS FACTORY THAT  BORE OUR FAMILY 
 NAME. IT HAD  CHANGED OWNERS  MANY TIMES 
 SINCE  OUR  ANCESTORS  DEATH,  AND  THEN 
 STOOD  ABANDONED   FOR  A  LONG   WHILE. 
 FINALLY,  THE  NATURAL  END  STATION FOR 
 THE BUILDINGS  THAT SURVIVE:  A  MUSEUM, 
 AND A GIFT SHOP.                         
                                          
 THERE'S  A  LONG  TIME  SINCE MY  FAMILY 
 MADE  ANYTHING.  BY  MANY,  WE WOULD  BE 
 CONSIDERED POOR.                         
                                          
 THERE  ARE  TWO  MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, 
 DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS,  MADE IN 
 YELLOW BRICK.  LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, 
 REMINESCENT    OF    SOME     CATHEDRAL. 
 CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF  COURSE, LARGE AND 
 LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO  DARK TO BE 
 PRACTICAL.   ON  THE  EASTERN  BUILDING, 
 SOME ARE SHATTERED.                      
                                          
 THE OTHER ONE  IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S 
 A MUSEUM, WITH  WAX  FIGURES OF MY GREAT 
 GREAT  GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR  SOMETHING. 
 VARIOUS TOOLS (OR  REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON 
 TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS.  A LOT OF 
 GLASS     OF     VARYING      THICKNESS. 
                                          
                                        
                                      
                          
                                      
                                        
                                          
 I QUICKLY SNEAK  OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE 
 OTHER   BUILDING.   THE    CONTRAST   IS 
 OVERWHELMING.   IT   MUST   HAVE   STOOD 
 DERELICT  FOR  A   LONG  TIME,   WINDOWS 
 BROKEN,  METALLIC  TRASH  AND  POOLS  OF 
 DARK   GLASS  ALL  OVER  THE  FLOOR.  NO 
 ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT  I  CAN SEE BY  THE 
 LIGHT THAT SHINES  IN  WHEREVER THE DARK 
 WINDOWS    ARE    MISSING     A    PANE. 
                                          
 HOWEVER, THE GREATEST  DIFFERENCE IS THE 
 HIGHER FLOORS:  THIS  BUILDING HAS NONE. 
 IT IS ONE MASSIVE  HALL, STRETCHING AWAY 
 INFINITELY ABOVE ME.  SOMEWHERE UP THERE 
 IS SOME  GREAT  IRON  LATTICEWORK,  FROM 
 WHERE  CHAINS  ARE SUSPENDED,  AND PARTS 
 OF  MACHINERY  HAS  BEEN  FALLING  DOWN. 
                                          
 THERE IS,  IN THE  MIDDLE  OF THE  GREAT 
 HALL,  A  THIN  SPIRAL   STAIRCASE  THAT 
 LEADS UP  THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND 
 TAKE  A FEW RELUCTANT  STEPS. AFTER JUST 
 A  REVOLUTION,  I  NOTICE THAT FOR  EACH 
 STEP  THE  BUILDING STARTS  TO GLOW, THE 
 BRICKS  TURNING  A DARK  RED,  AND  THEN 
 ORANGE, ALL  THE PILED  UP  DEBREE BEING 
 LIT FROM BEHIND.                         
                                          
 I STOP READY TO  RUN DOWN  AND OUT,  BUT 
 THERE'S  SOMEONE  ELSE ON THE  STAIRCASE 
 WITH   ME  NOW,   PRESSED  CLOSE.   HE'S 
 LOOKING LIKE  ME,  SHORT  HAIR AND  THIN 
 ARMS,  BUT  WITH EARS FROM  SOME ANIMAL, 
 AND MORE  DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY  MADE 
 OF DARK LIQUID GLASS.                    
                                          
                                        
                                      
                          
                                      
                                        
                                          
 MY FEAR  HOLDS  ME  IN  PLACE  WHILE  HE 
 STARTS  OPERATING LEVERS AND  DIALS  SET 
 IN THE CENTER  OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, 
 IT  STARTS SPINNING,  CIRCLING  UPWARDS. 
 IT'S   AN   ELEVATOR!  I  START  TO  RUN 
 DOWNWARDS,   BUT   NOW  THE  LIQUID  BOY 
 CREATURE GRABS  HOLD  OF  ME.  I  TRY TO 
 SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT  HE'S TOO STRONG, AND 
 PULLS    ME   BACK   UP   BESIDE    HIM. 
                                          
 THIS TIME, I  TURN ANGRY  INSTEAD.  WHAT 
 THE HELL?  WHO IS THIS GUY,  ACTING LIKE 
 THIS? I  REACH OUT MY  FREE ARM AND SLAM 
 A  RANDOM  LEVER.   SOME  METAL  BAR  IS 
 SUDDENLY  RELEASED  BETWEEN US,  HITTING 
 HIM ON THE ARM,  FORCING MY  RELEASE.  I 
 SHOVE HIM OFF OF  ME,  AND HE FALLS INTO 
 THE    LEVERS,    MESSING    THEM    UP. 
 IMMEDIATELY,  A  THIN  RUSTY   CHAINMAIL 
 CURTAIN  IS DROPPED AROUND  ME. BUT  THE 
 ELEVATOR  ALSO SPEEDS  UP SIGNIFICANTLY. 
                                          
 THE  WALLS  ARE   FLARING  NOW,  YELLOW, 
 WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES  AND 
 CURL INTO  A BALL. BUT  THEN, THE  GLASS 
 BOY  SCREAMS,  A  PIERCING  SOUND   THAT 
 FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH  AS HE 
 BECOMES  TOO LIQUID,  HIS  BODY  POOLING 
 DOWN IN  HIS  NOW MASSIVE  TAIL, AND THE 
 TIP OF  IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS 
 DROP  THAT  FALLS   TOWARD  THE  FACTORY 
 FLOOR.                                   
                                          
 HE'S  CRAWLING ON THE  STAIRS, UNABLE TO 
 KEEP HIS  BODY  UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE 
 LEVERS,  CLAWS  AT  MY  CHAINMAIL  CAGE, 
 WHILE  HIS  BODY  IS  TURNING  INTO DARK 
 PEARLS. FINALLY,  HE'S LOST TOO  MUCH OF 
 HIMSELF  AND THE  SCREAM  IS CUT  SHORT. 
 THE    LAST   OF   HIM    RAINS    DOWN. 
                                          
 I STILL  CAN'T  REACH  THE  LEVERS  FROM 
 WITHIN MY  CAGE. LOOKING UP,  I  TRY  TO 
 MAKE  OUT THE  CEILING, BUT IT'S  ALL  A 
 WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS.  BELOW ME GLOWS 
 THE  HELLFIRE OF THE  FACTORY WALLS, BUT 
 VERY FAINT.  I SIT  DOWN,  CURL BACK UP, 
 BECOME STILL.                            
                                          
                                        
                                      
                          
                                      
                                        
                                          
 A LARGE  CLUNK  SHAKES  MY  ENTIRE BODY, 
 AND SNAPS  ME  BACK  INTO  REALITY.  I'M 
 BACK  AT  THE  FACTORY  FLOOR,  BUT  THE 
 STAIRS   ARE   STILL   MOVING  SLIGHTLY, 
 CLICKING IN  PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST 
 FEW  CENTIMETERS.  I  CAME  FROM  BELOW, 
 SOMEHOW.  THE  CHAINMAIL  IS  RETRACTED, 
 AND  I   SLOWLY  DISMOUNT  THE   STAIRS. 
                                          
 SHAKING AND  CRYING, I MAKE  MY WAY OVER 
 THE  FACTORY FLOOR, WADING  THROUGH DARK 
 GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK  GLANCE DOWN, AND 
 I  SEE  THERE'S SOMETHING  FAINT  INSIDE 
 THEM.    EMBRYOS?   ARE   THESE    EGGS? 
                                          
 I   SHUDDER,   AND   CLIMB   BACK   OUT.